Miami Open presented by Itaú Thursday, March 28, 2019 Denis Shapovalov Press Conference

D. SHAPOVALOV/F. Tiafoe young talent coming in. You know, it's just that point in 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 the ATP, you know, you still have kind of the legends, you know, Rog, Rafa, still there on top, but you have a THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. lot of newcomers with talent kind of gunning for them. Every week it feels like someone new is making a Q. Good match. There is a great sense of breakthrough and playing well. camaraderie out there with you two guys. Talk about your relationship with Frances. I think it's really healthy for the sport to see a couple DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I think we're definitely new stars in the game, and, you know, the fans get to pretty close. It kind of developed throughout the years kind of watch something new other than the top 4. on tour. Honestly, in juniors, we kind of knew of each other, but he was really good at a young age and I was Q. You will meet Roger Federer for the first time just starting up. Obviously I saw him around, but we tomorrow. How does it feel to play against him, to didn't hang around too much. earn this place against him? And, as well, to share a semifinal with Felix, it's the first time two Then once we started playing pros, we played Laver teenagers of the same country are that far since Cup together, all this, and we just started getting closer Chang and Sampras. Your thoughts on that? and closer, and obviously we have practiced together a DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, it's kind of crazy to share bunch of times. We've played each other a bunch of this with Felix. I was just thinking in the locker room times. It feels like every time we play we kind of bring how far back we go, and from the national groupings out the best in each other. It's always an honor to be when we were 8 and 9 years old, so it's so crazy to see on the court with him. how far we have come.

Q. Is it tougher or easier to have to play him than And at such a young age, I feel like both of us have just anybody else because the stakes are also so such of bright future ahead of us. It's really great to high? see him doing well. Honestly, it's not a shocker for me DENIS SHAPOVALOV: For sure, I think it's tough in the that he's gone this far, that he's doing so well. sense that I wish the best for him, and I love seeing him go deep in tournaments and doing as good as Like I have been saying for a couple years now, it was possible. But, you know, when you're on the other just a matter of time with Felix, you know, being healthy side, like, for example today when you win, obviously and just playing well at the right time. I see, first of all, you feel great, but part of me does also feel kind of how talented he is and how talented he was from a bad, you know, just in the sense that he couldn't go on young age. But it's not only that. He could be so in the tournament. I know he deserves it as much as I talented, but I have never seen someone work as hard do. He works so hard. He's such a great person. as him.

But, yeah, in that sense, it's definitely tough, but I think He's so professional about how he goes about his once we get on the court, once we start playing, it's things, from the morning to when he sleeps at night. just tennis, you know. We just play our sport. We both He's always thinking like a pro athlete. So honestly, I try to win. kind of look up to him in that sense. You know, I feel like he's always on top of those things. It's just great to After the match, obviously we're good friends, we just see. spoke in the locker room. Yeah, we're all cool. In terms of playing Roger, yeah, it's definitely a Q. Is there something that's clicking in your matchup I have been looking forward to, I think, my generation? On paper it looks like a big sort of whole life (smiling). It's going to be a dream come true breakthrough for this generation, even if you have to play him in such a big event over here, and the had occasionally spikes before. stakes are so high, semifinal match of a Masters 1000 DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, there is definitely a lot of against your idol. It's just a dream come true.

Rev #1 by #180 at 2019-03-29 02:40:00 GMT page 1 of 3 have a good time on the court and give it my all. You Q. Besides you and Felix, there is also a women's know, that's all I can ask at this point. Canadian tennis that has had protagonism the past weeks, months even. What would you consider Obviously Roger is a really tough opponent, so it's what's going on in Canada? What are you doing going to be a really difficult match. I'm just happy to right? What has been the key for this growth that kind of have the chance to play him here in the semis. has been coming up in Canadian tennis? Yeah, that's pretty much it. I'm going to go out there, DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, that's a good question. fight for every point, and see what I can do. Honestly, yeah, Bianca, obviously if that's who you're talking about, she's another girl that, you know, I have Q. The Rogers Cup semifinal two years ago, you got the chance to grow up with her. You know, we are rode a high to one semifinal, but to produce both from Toronto. Obviously we both played all the consistent results, you have to go through a same events, and we're pretty close. It's unbelievable maturation process. Can you talk about that to see her doing so well. process? And also, you're finally cracking the top 20 in the world with this win today. Talk about how I know she was struggling with a couple of injuries, you that feeling has been a long way coming. know, early in her career, last couple of years. First of DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I think, yeah, it definitely all, it's great to see her on the court healthy, playing means a lot to make my third semifinals of a Masters really well. Honestly, it's insane what she's doing. I event. First of all, I feel like I'm doing a good job with mean, not even I could believe it, and I know how good my team to try to peak at the right moments and really and talented she is. So it's great to see it from her. bring out my game in the biggest stadiums and the biggest tournaments. I feel like that's a huge credit to She's a wonderful person. You know, we are really, them. They are really making sure that I'm playing well really close and really good friends, so it's really nice to the right weeks. see that. And then again, it's just, like, it's just more reassurance But in terms of tennis, I mean, I think we all kind of that I'm kind of doing the right things, that I'm come from different ways. Felix comes from the constantly improving and my game is there. You know, program in Montreal. Bianca comes from the program when I made that semifinals in Montreal, it was kind of, in Toronto. I come from my own team and my own like, it felt like a one-off for me. I had those two, three ways. I don't know really what is going on, but I think if weeks of insanity of, you know, just playing ridiculous, I say, for the men's side, it's been kind of almost a and then all of a sudden I was kind of struggling again. rivalry with me and Felix, and I feel like we have been able to kind of thrive on each other's results and push So when I did make semifinals in Madrid, it was each other. reassurance for me that my level is there, that I'm capable of doing it. Just like this week, every time I see him win, I'm, like, Come on, you know, let me try to win, as well, and see And today, again, now I know in the back of my mind how far we can get together. It's just a healthy thing we that my game is there to make semifinals of these big have had since juniors. You know, I remember when events. Definitely gives me that confidence to keep he was climbing up the rankings, and I won going forward. Wimbledon, and then he won US Open. So we're always constantly competing. I think it's just so great In terms of top 20, like I just said, it's another kind of for us and so great for the country. comforting feeling for me to try to keep going and potentially, you know, hopefully break the top 10. You Q. You just mentioned Roger Federer was your idol know, it would be unbelievable to do that. growing up. How is it different for you to go into the match when you play against him than maybe But it's a process. You know, obviously I'm happy with playing against another opponent? where I am today, and like you said, it's just kind of a DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, I try to put on, like, some step forward in my career. tennis sunglasses so I don't see him (smiling) so I see blurry or something, or I see someone else on the Q. My question is, as a young player, playing your other side. idol tomorrow, what influences on your game were out there, like, guys like Federer and Djokovic? No, honestly, I'm going to try to go about it the same Did any of those players have any influence on way. And I'm really happy with how the week's gone so your game? And if so, what parts? far, so I'm just going to go out there, enjoy myself, just DENIS SHAPOVALOV: Yeah, for sure. I watched a lot

Rev #1 by #180 at 2019-03-29 02:40:00 GMT page 2 of 3 of all of them, really. Roger, obviously I was always looking at his backhand, the way he hits it. I always tried to kind of copy him. Really just build my game, like, and play like he does. Aggressive, coming in. He was always not afraid to kind of go for his shots and close the point at the net. I feel like that, just watching him do that so much kind of built my personality on the court, and I try to do the same.

In terms of Novak, I have been really trying to study his game in terms of how he returns, how well he moves on the court. You know, growing up, I was, again, a really big fan of Novak, just because, one, his game is unbelievable, the way he moves, but also, you know, he was always -- I really looked up to him, because he was always that kind of No. 3 guy after Roger and Rafa. And he really proved himself that he's capable to break through. I really looked up to him.

Obviously Rafa's fighting spirit. It's really something that I tried to match and make my own. The way he fights for every point, he doesn't give you an inch. When I had the chance to play him the couple times that I did, you really feel it on the court. You know, even when you have 40-Love on your serve, you feel like you need to win that point, otherwise it's going back to deuce. He doesn't give you an inch. I really try to bring that into my game.

And honestly, I feel like those three guys have helped me learn so much in the game. Yeah, it's three great guys to kind of look up to when you're young.

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